startup america

NEXT Comes to the Triangle to Push Startup Customer Development

Posted by Joe Procopio | Aug 21, 2013

NEXT is coming to the Triangle to put emphasis on customer acquisition and development. And they go out of their way to let you know that the program might not be for you – in a good way. The FAQ is actually full of dissuasion, so much so that I started nodding my head in agreement. Don’t have an idea or a team? This is not for you. Wondering how much time you need to allocate? You may need to reconsider. Can’t make every session? They get it, but if you’re going to miss more than one, you might...

Startup North Carolina Holds First Working Session

Posted by Joe Procopio | Dec 16, 2012

As I was in line get into the first Startup NC meeting since the kickoff back in August, I wound up in front of an entrepreneur with whom I had been having some conversations about seeking their Series A round. The good news was that they were about 2/3rds of the way to the finish line and it looked like it would close shortly. The bad news was that it’d been as painful as could be expected. But any time you go raise here, it’s painful. Comes with the territory. Talk turned to the much-hyped Series A Crunch —...

Exclusive: What You'll See Tonight at the Startup North Carolina Launch Event

Posted by Joe Procopio | Aug 19, 2012

In italics is Joe Procopio: ExitEvent troublemaker and minor player in the formation of the Startup NC Triangle team. In non-italics is Mital Patel: Organizer of the Startup NC Triangle Launch Event, Triangle Startup Weekend organizer and Triangle Business Law founder.— You look beat. Ha! I’ve spent the past two weeks organizing and coordinating the Startup NC launch, along with my day job. I’ve been on the calls and you’ve been killing it. How would you sum it up? It’s been equally challenging and rewarding. Five weeks ago, I don’t know that anyone knew what Startup North Carolina was...

Startup North Carolina Launching August 20th

Posted by Joe Procopio | Jul 15, 2012

A little over a year ago, the day of the very first official non-beta ExitEvent Startup Social, I got word that the White House Jobs and Competitive Council would be in the Triangle (the same day as the President, I might add) doing five listening sessions with local entrepreneurs and other business executives. I tried like mad, to no avail, to get them, the President, or anyone else to the Social in Durham that night, where over 50 of the area’s top entrepreneurs would be saying the exact things those people wanted to be listening to. Scott Case was...